Industrial standardization

Industrial standardization

Standardization can be defined as 途educing, simplifying, and organizing matters which are apt to become diversified, complicated, and chaotic if left uncontrolled.・Standards can be defined as 途ules・specified by standardization. There are mandatory standards and voluntary standards, but generally voluntary ones are referred to as 都tandards.・
Industrial standardization represents standardization in the industrial sector, and in Japan, Japanese Industrial Standards are adopted as national industrial standards.
With regard to 堵oods・and 杜atters,・which are apt to become diversified, complicated, and chaotic if left uncontrolled, industrial standardization aims to establish state-level 都tandards・in the form of technical documents and to 砥nify・or 都implify・them equally throughout Japan, from the multiple viewpoints of ensuring convenience in economic and social activities (securing compatibility), enhancing production efficiency (mass -production by reducing variety), securing fairness (assurance of consumer profits and simplification of transactions), promoting technology advancement (support for the creation of new knowledge and the development/dissemination of new technologies), preserving safety and health, and conserving the environment.
The significance of industrial standardization can be explained as follows, focusing on the functions thereof (operation and effects).

(1) Functions contributing to economic activities

1. Assurance of appropriate product quality standards

Industrial standardization can ensure certain levels of product quality. Industrial standardization concerning product quality should be prepared, focusing not on company needs but on the needs of users and consumers, with full consideration given to social needs, including the public interest. With regards to safety and environment conservation, products are restricted by technical standards established through mandatory legislation. Considering social needs, industrial standardization also needs to comply with these technical standards in a technological manner.

2. Provision of product information

Industrial standardization can provide information indispensable for selecting products including product size and product quality, such as functions, ingredients, and strength, in a manner beneficial to both sellers and purchasers in transactions, and can contribute to cost reduction in business activities.

3. Dissemination of technology

Industrial standardization for product functions and testing methods can contribute to technological advancement by promoting utilization/dissemination of said technologies in wide-ranging industrial contexts, and, as a result, avoiding unnecessary duplication of the development of similar technologies, enhancing productivity, and encouraging the industrial sector to focus on further technological improvement.

4. Enhancement of production efficiency

Industrial standardization 都implifies・product types, classification, and functions, and enables mass -production, which reduces prices through the advantage of scale. Industrial standardization can thus contribute to the enhancement of production efficiency. However, recent enhanced production techniques have enabled greater 電iversity・of products responding to consumers・various needs. Industrial standardization can also be used as a tool to formulate flexible rules through technical adjustments by conducting necessary 砥nification・and 都implification・while enhancing products・ 電iversity.・/p>

5. Development of competitive environment

Industrial standardization for product functions, testing methods, and assessment methods can promote competition in performance characteristics for anticipated technical developments by enabling objective comparison between products in terms of functions and merging, or simplifying fundamental common technical characteristics.

6. Securing compatibility and interface consistency

Difficulties in assembling or exchanging parts resulting from in compatibility are extremely inconvenient. Industrial standardization can mandate compatibility between bolts and nuts, or fluorescent lamps and light fixtures to enable the easy exchange of parts. Furthermore, in recent years it has become important for industrial standardization to secure interface consistency, including interface standardization, between computer systems, and compatibility and mutual applicability in the information, factory automation (FA), and e-commerce sectors.

(2) Functions as a means to achieve social goals

Industrial standardization can promote the proactive activities of companies and consumers without imposing regulations by technical standards defined by mandatory legislation, if they are working appropriately as a means to pursue policy goals such as 兎nhancement of industrial competitiveness,・菟reservation of environment, safety, and rights,・and 菟romotion of energy conservation and resource conservation.・/p>

(3) Functions as action rules to promote mutual understanding

Industrial standardization can unify technical infrastructure such as terms, marks, measurement units, test assessment methods, production methods, safety levels, format display of specifications, etc. as a means to mutually communicate technical requirements and technical data between related parties (manufacturers, distributors, users, consumers, and researchers). Furthermore, in recent years, guidelines for test assessment methods, specifications concerning consumer goods, mark display, and various management systems have become important aspects of industrial standardization, with a view to promoting international standardization.

(4) Functions for promoting trade

As trade has become globalized and trade volume has increased, the maintaining of differing national standards and technical standards by individual countries, as defined by mandatory legislation, may hinder international trade. It is difficult to ensure that all countries bring their mandatory technical standards legislation into line with each other痴 standards, but in such cases, industrial standardization can be utilized to maintain and develop free trade. In other words, countries・national standards are to be adjusted to comply with international standards which the ISO/IEC adopts based on international consensuses, and such national standards are to be incorporated into countries・mandatory legislation technical standards.